U.S. Senate: Containment Not an Option

Since the ouster of the Shah, Iran has been a thorn in the side of the Free World and especially, the United States of America.

Are you old enough to remember the Hostage Crisis? If not, here is a summary:

On November 4, 1979, an angry mob of some 300 to 500 “students” who called themselves “Imam’s Disciples,” laid siege to the American Embassy in Teheran, Iran, to capture and hold hostage 66 U.S. citizens and diplomats.

Although women and African-Americans were released a short time later, 51 hostages remained imprisoned for 444 days with another individual released because of illness midway through the ordeal.

…Upon the death of the shah in July [1980] (which neutralized one demand) and the Iraqi invasion of Iran in September (necessitating weapons acquisition), Iran became more amenable to reopening negotiations for the hostages’ release.

In the late stages of the presidential race with Ronald Reagan, Carter, given those new parameters, might have been able to bargain with the Iranians, which might have clinched the election for him. The 11th-hour heroics were dubbed an “October Surprise”* by the Reagan camp — something they did not want to see happen.

Allegations surfaced that William Casey, director of the Reagan campaign, and some CIA operatives, secretly met with Iranian officials in Europe to arrange for the hostages’ release, but not until after the election. If true, some observers aver, dealing with a hostile foreign government to achieve a domestic administration’s defeat would have been grounds for charges of treason.

Reagan won the election, partly because of the failure of the Carter administration to bring the hostages home. Within minutes of Reagan’s inauguration, the hostages were released.

Unfortunately, these same barbarians now have new “toys” to threaten us with.

Iran has the ability to fire missiles at U.S. targets in the Middle East and “temporarily” close a key sea transit route, a senior intelligence official said Thursday. Tehran has a missile arsenal capable of reaching “targets throughout the region and into Eastern Europe,” Lt. Gen. Ronald Burgess, Defense Intelligence Agency director, told the Senate Armed Services Committee. “Iran has … threatened to launch missiles against the United States and our allies in the region in response to an attack” on its nuclear facilities or other targets, he said. What’s more, Iran “could also employ its terrorist surrogates worldwide,” Burgess said. He also noted that “Iran can close the Strait of Hormuz,” the key sea lane used to move oil and other goods to destinations around the globe. The U.S. intelligence community believes Iran “is unlikely to initiate or intentionally provoke a conflict or launch a preemptive attack,” Burgess told the panel.

Fortunately, the leader of Israel has a better grasp of this dangerous situation than the Obama Administration does. Ynetnews.com reports that

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias signed a search and rescue agreement on Thursday. According to the agreement, in the event of a disaster Israeli aircraft will be authorized to enter Cyprus’ airspace, and vice versa. A similar agreement between the Jewish state and Turkey was revoked recently in light of heightened tensions between the countries. While in Nicosia, Netanyahu also addressed the Iranian nuclear threat, saying the sanctions imposed by the international community on the Islamic Republic “are not working.” Iran is the most irresponsible force in the world, he said, claiming the sactions imposed on the Islamic Republic have not had an effect so far. According to Netanyahu, the regime in Tehran violates every resolution and has no respect for international norms. He added that Iran’s race towards nuclear weapons should concern the US and every other country. Nuclear arms in the hands of the Iranian regime is a cause for great concern to the US and Israel, he said.

A bipartisan slate of senators announced this afternoon they would reject “any United States policy that would rely on efforts to contain a nuclear weapons-capable Iran.” Drawing a clear line in the sand, the senators – among them Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) – demanded that President Obama reject “any policy that would rely on containment as an option in response to the Iranian nuclear threat,” according to a new Senate resolution set to be unveiled later today.

The resolution “warns that time is limited to prevent the Iranian government from acquiring a nuclear weapon” and demands that the hostile regime immediately suspend all uranium enrichment activities.

Most noteworthy, perhaps, is the resolution’s thorough accounting of the Iranian regime’s hostile behavior. It details, for example, Iran’s connections to terror groups and its various efforts to harm U.S. interests across the Middle East.

“Iran has provided weapons, training, funding, and direction to terrorist groups, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and Shiite militias in Iraq that are responsible for the murders of hundreds of American forces and innocent civilians,” the resolution declares. It states unequivocally that Iran and nuclear weapons are simply anathema. “If Iran were successful in acquiring a nuclear weapon capability, it would likely spur other countries in the region to consider developing their own nuclear weapons capabilities,” it reads.

Earlier in the week, opponents of tough action towards Iran appeared almost gleeful over reports that lawmakers were having trouble attracting Democrats to the resolution.

Evidently, the senators who oppose tough action against Iran learned nothing from the Carter Hostage Crisis.

Somewhere in the afterlife George Santayana is wagging his finger and reminding us that “Those who forget history…are doomed to repeat it.”

One Response to U.S. Senate: Containment Not an Option

There’s a whole long list of Senators that need to be ousted. I am disheartened today and cannot get the energy to look it up.
“Obama Blues” known better as the “The Song of the Volga Boatmen” that my piano teacher had me learn when I was 8 is how I feel.
I’m old enough to remember the whole thing. It was Jimmy Carter at his finest and we were all so worried about those people that were being held over there. There is another “White Knight” in our country, although Darth Vader has slandered and lied about him. Actually, Darth says he was not aware of any slander. It must have been the fine crop of leftist advisors he has traveling with him.
While Darth is enjoying the height of the trees and the lovely lakes and cars in Michigan this week, Hans Solo is enjoying the comforts of his southern home. Rest up “White Knight” as we need you back again.
I am amazed at the turn of things. It seems from what I can tell, the country goes in for rhetoric and not substance. I do not believe there is another person but Newt Gingrich who could finesse this Iranian situation. Not Santorum, not Romney and certainly not Paul. What does the country not see?
Between Obama and Hillary they have managed to upset the entire middle east and put our country in danger. I would think this would qualify as treason. We have muslims in the state department. Oh, I know what Hillary would say,”it helps us to be empathetic to the muslim brotherhood.” The muslim brotherhood , my foot. They are torturing some of the captives in Egypt. I believe Obama loves this. The Gall he has to be flaunting around the country side eating fast Chinese Food with our civilians in capture. George Bush would have never done anything like this. Obama is a savage.he will let them die. He will say we can absorb this as he stated”I think we can absorb another 9/11″ Nobody talks about that and i heard it with my own ears. I believe he wants to bring the war to American soil.